(Kaieteur News) – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), is calling on the Government of Guyana to abandon what it describes as an “ill-conceived” decision to transform the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) into a bottled water distributor.

Speaking at the party’s weekly press conference on Friday, Member of Parliament Saiku Andrews said APNU strongly condemns the move, calling it another announcement from a government that has lost sight of its priorities.

Andrews noted that GWI was established to provide citizens with water that is safe, reliable, affordable and potable, yet thousands of Guyanese countrywide continue to experience low water pressure, frequent service interruptions, aging infrastructure and discoloured water. He attributed these shortcomings to what he called the Peoples Progressive Party Civic’s (PPP/C) incompetence and a lack of vision, recalling that Guyana once produced its own alum to purify water before the current administration discontinued local production in favour of imports. He argued that the shift toward bottled water signals the government’s retreat from its responsibility to guarantee potable water as a basic right.